Reader’s Question:

My boyfriend was driving my car over the past weekend. He got pulled over for speeding and also received a drunk driving violation (DUI) and driving without a license in Houston Texas. How will this affect my auto insurance rate?

Kelly

Houston, TX

Generally, any tickets your friends receive while driving your car will not affect your auto insurance rates. The tickets for speeding, drunk driving and driving without a license should all have been issued to your boyfriend in Houston TX, the driver, and not the car, so typically will show up on his driving record and affect him.

If your boyfriend had an accident while driving your vehicle it would have affected your auto insurance since most likely it would be your insurance that would have to pay out on claims resulting from a crash.

Tags: auto insurance, car, car insurance rate, DUI, traffic school

by Amy Nutt

You’ve just bought your first new car and now you need to get car insurance for that vehicle. You?re not sure what to do and you want to make sure you get the most affordable rate. You don?t want your lack of knowledge to cause you to have to pay more for your car insurance than what you have to; especially since you need to put very expensive fuel in that car to keep it running.

Fortunately, lack of knowledge doesn’t have to get in your way. There are some basic things you should know about buying car insurance for the first time. They are not difficult and you?ll find that the difference between knowing these things and not knowing these things means more money you can keep in your pocket or use to put fuel in your car. It doesn’t matter how you choose to use that money.

Source: Insurance

Reader’s Question:

I am from Houston, TX and I own a motorcycle. I want to get an idea as to how will I be required to file for an SR22? What are the violations included in the filing for an SR22?

Anthony

Houston, TX

Thanks for asking, Anthony. The Texas (DPS) Department of Public Safety mandates drivers in Texas for SR-22 requirements. If you have certain violations that have occurred in the State of Texas, you may be required to maintain SR22 insurance. Violations that trigger an SR22 requirement include, but are not limited to: DUI, driving without insurance, reckless driving, or acquiring too many points within a certain period of time. Generally, filing must be held within a 2-year period. The state will determine the amount of time, and a policy will need to be maintained until that date, or your license will be suspended. The insurance company and the DPS office will communicate to assure that the policy is kept in force. As long as the SR22 policy is maintained, the state will allow the license to remain valid on either a hardship or occupational status.

Most cases, a motorcycle policy will run $300 per year for the first year, and then lowered to just about $100 per year for each successive year. You may want to consider applying for SR22 insurance on a motorcycle/scooter if you are younger or live in the Houston area or other areas in Texas that involve more expensive insurance.

Reader’s Question:

My grandson was riding his dirt bike on a public road and received a violation for no insurance in Houston. Can we even obtain insurance on a dirt bike? Will the coverage we have on our current cars meet the insurance requirement?

Taylor

Houston, TX

You can contact your car insurance agent in Houston to check if your current vehicle insurance policy will cover the dirt bike and therefore can be used in court as proof of insurance but it is unlikely that it will cover the bike.

Your car insurance policy usually covers only the cars listed, not any type of car not listed such as a dirt bike, motorcycle, etc. You would need a separate policy for these motor vehicles to be covered. If your car insurance does not cover the dirt bike then you could not take this insurance policy into court as proof of insurance. The court is looking to see that if your grandson had damaged anyone or anything while driving the dirt bike on public roads that there was insurance at least state minimum liability insurance in place that would have covered the accident.

You or your grandson will need to call the court listed on his violation to find out what the penalties are for driving his dirt bike on public roads and without insurance. You may see if buying insurance for the bike now would help his case in any way.

“Who Else Wants To Beat Their DUI Arrest or Conviction Record, Save Money on Insurance, And Get Their Drivers License Back?” 

Have You Recently Been Pulled Over And Cited For A DUI or Drunk Driving Offense?

If you’ve just been pulled over it’s absolutely critical that you learn how to protect not only your freedom but your driving privilege, future employment opportunities, auto insurance payments and criminal record as well.

More importantly there is immediate action you must take to save your license and then minimize the damage done to your personal life so that you’ll eventually be able to clear the DUI from your record completely. It’s extremely important for you to focus on getting through this and protecting your record.

Learn more… ..

Source: money

Reader’s Question:

I am a resident of Houston, Texas and I am just wondering if I get two tickets for driving without insurance, will I need to get an SR22?

Carol

Houston, TX

Normally, yes, if you have been convicted of operating a vehicle without insurance in Houston Texas or in any plac in Texas for a second time your license will be suspended and to restore it you will be required to get and maintain an SR-22 for two years after your conviction date.

If the Department of Public Safety informed you that an SR-22 is required then it will need to be filed by your insurance provider. An SR-22 insurance policy is a form of insurance that shows the Texas DPS proof of insurance for the future, as required by the Texas law. SR-22 insurance is car liability insurance which requires the insurance carrier to certify coverage to DPS, and the insurance carrier must notify DPS anytime the policy is cancelled, terminated or lapses.

Reader’s Question:

I got involved in a hit and run in Houston, Texas. I got the other person’s license plate number. I have the liability car insurance on my vehicle which will not cover a hit and run. How can I know out if the individual that hit me has car insurance or not?

Anna

Houston, TX

If you have not yet reported the hit and run you should do so as soon as possible by calling the Houston law enforcement agency so they can investigate. With the license plate number you have for the at-fault motorist in the hit and run, hopefully the police can track down the owner of the vehicle.

According to the Texas Department of Insurance, your uninsured motorist coverage will pay for your damage in a hit and-run accident only if the accident is reported to the police. Even if you dont have this type of coverage it is likely if you find the at-fault car owner their insurance provider will require a police report on the accident.

If the motorist is found and the car owner takes responsibility then you should be able to place a claim with their insurance company. If instead the police are only able to find the owner of the car then you may need to check with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to see if they will release information on the person’s car insurance information that is on file with them.

Q: What can I do to get cheap SR22 in Houston TX?

A: If you want a cheap SR22 in Houston TX, then you need to start shopping around regularly to make sure you are with the best car insurance company. Many Americans choose not to do this, whether out of igorance or laziness, and as a result the average policy holder in this country pays four hundred dollars more than necessary on their car insurance coverage.

In order to maintain a cheap SR22 in Houston TX, you need to start shopping around at certain times. A minimum amount of shopping and comparing of car insurance companies you should be doing is once every year. I prefer to do it every time my policy is renewed. My policy is renewing this monh, so I looked around, and while my company is the best, if I had gotten with another company I would be paying a hundred and fifty more a month. Comparing is worth it.

Other than that, the other times you should be shopping around are when something important in your life has changed. If you recently had a change of address, got married, or turned 25, for example.